Political Memo; Meeting Local Needs In a Presidential Primary

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

Published: February 27, 2004

On the face of it, the parade of New York politicians who attached themselves to the elbows of Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards this week was all about galvanizing Democratic Party loyalists and beating President Bush. But it was also about -- well, Charles B. Rangel, for one.

Mr. Rangel, the senior congressman from Harlem, introduced Mr. Kerry at a rally there early Monday, striking a triumphant pose that has been popping up in news clips and photographs over and over again in the days since.

Only a few weeks earlier, Mr. Rangel was striking similar poses as he squired Gen. Wesley K. Clark around Washington and New York, calling him the Democrats' best chance to defeat Mr. Bush in the fall election.

Now that the New York presidential primary suddenly has become a pivotal moment in the contest for the Democratic nomination, New York politicians have an opportunity to play kingmaker, to lend their name and political prestige to a national candidate at a time when that can really make a difference.

The presidential candidates are also bringing something to politicians like Mr. Rangel, who has chafed as a member of the minority party in Washington for several years and who many Democratic officials say needs a big win after picking a string of losing candidates for mayor and governor.

''I'm sure Congressman Rangel has found a lot that he likes about Senator Kerry,'' said Eric Schmeltzer, a Democratic political operative in New York who worked in the campaign of Howard Dean until Dr. Dean dropped out of the race. ''But he's also a savvy guy, and the fact that conventional wisdom has Kerry as the odds-on favorite probably didn't escape his notice.''

More often than not, of course, politicians make endorsements on the basis of ideology and merit, but many of these choices are also based on personal political calculations, and those being made by New York's politicians these days are no different.

Put bluntly, many politicians are asking themselves this: What's in it for me?

''Self-interest plays a very large part in all this,'' said Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

New York's two senators, for example, have done the political calculus. In the case of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, she and her advisers have apparently concluded that she is better off keeping a careful and respectful distance from any of the candidates, mindful that anything she says or does will almost certainly prompt speculation that she is trying to influence the race for her own political benefit.

After all, Mrs. Clinton at one point had to dispel rumors that she and her husband had urged General Clark to become a presidential candidate so that he could, in turn, serve as a stalking horse to hold a spot for her to enter the race.

''It's a no-win situation for her,'' said one New York Democrat on Capitol Hill who spoke on the condition of anonymity. ''No matter what she does, people are going to think she is doing it to advance her own position. So she is better off staying under the radar until a clear front-runner emerges.''

For Senator Charles E. Schumer, who is up for re-election this year, the concern is entirely different.

People close to him say he is counting on a strong candidate at the top of the ticket to carry other Democrats, particularly those running for the Senate, where Democrats are trying to prevent Republicans from expanding their narrow majority.

For that reason, Mr. Schumer has been reluctant to endorse any of the candidates, uncertain about which one of them would have the strongest appeal among critically important swing voters in a general election matchup against President Bush, people close to the senator say.

There is also the case of Representative Anthony D. Weiner, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

At one point, he was a strong supporter of General Clark, lauding the general's military service, among other things.

But there was another big reason for his stance: Mr. Rangel was also an enthusiastic Clark supporter, and the Harlem congressman could be very helpful to Mr. Weiner if he decides to run for mayor next year, an option he is considering.

''Being a four-star general was nice and all,'' Mr. Weiner said, in explaining his reasons for supporting Mr. Clark. ''But being a friend of Charlie Rangel's was as important to me.''

At this point, most of the New York political establishment is playing it safe and lining up behind Mr. Kerry.

The Kerry camp, for example, now includes at least 10 of the 17 Democrats in the state's Congressional delegation, including Nita M. Lowey of Westchester (a former Gephardt supporter), Joseph Crowley of Queens ( a former Dean supporter), as well as Mr. Rangel and Mr. Weiner, according to the New York State Democratic Party.

But early in the primary season, when there was no groundswell of support for any one of the presidential candidates, things were not so clear-cut.

Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly, started out as a big supporter of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, in large part because they have a good friendship that dates back several years.

''Friendship was the biggest part of the endorsement,'' Mr. Silver recently explained. ''Beyond that, it was my thinking that he would make a great president.''

Two days after Mr. Lieberman dropped out of the race, Mr. Silver joined the ever-growing list of New York politicians who are behind Mr. Kerry.

The unexpected twists of this primary season have been hard on some other local political figures. Dennis Rivera, one of the most powerful union leaders in New York Democratic Party circles, for one, not only endorsed Dr. Dean early on but also persuaded large numbers of politicians to do the same.

Now that Dr. Dean is out of the race, Mr. Rivera has been noticeably silent.

Some Democrats say Mr. Rivera has little to gain by making an endorsement at this late stage.

''When Dennis joined Dean, he joined very early on, and that helped make him a major player in the Dean campaign,'' a Democratic strategist said. ''But he really doesn't have anything to gain by endorsing someone like Kerry now. It's not like Kerry is going to give him a big role in his campaign.''

Finally, there is the drama that has been unfolding in Harlem, where Democrats say Mr. Rangel's deep involvement in the presidential primary stems partly from his longtime rivalry with the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is seeking the nomination.

Mr. Rangel has repeatedly said his sole aim is to topple President Bush, and he has brushed off any suggestion that he is quarreling with Mr. Sharpton. Nevertheless, his endorsement of Mr. Sharpton's opponents, first General Clark and then Mr. Kerry, has infuriated Mr. Sharpton, whose advisers say he is looking for a candidate to run against Mr. Rangel this year.

Another Democratic political strategist marveled at how the presidential primary has turned into a forum for New York politicians to settle scores.

''From the perspective of the national candidates, guys like Charlie Rangel are bit players in a nationwide campaign,'' the strategist explained. ''But what the national candidates don't realize is that they are bit players in a fight that's going on in a place like Harlem.''

Photo: Senator John Kerry, right, was endorsed by David N. Dinkins and other Harlem Democrats on Monday. Congressman Charles B. Rangel is at left. (Photo by Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)